Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Lab

Steven W. Wilhelm, Professor of Microbiology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996

Office: 865-974-0665 Labs: 865-974-0682 or 865-974-4014

OCEANOGRAPHY - LIMNOLOGY - MICROBIAL ECOLOGY

Research Interests

Our group is interested in microbial interactions within aquatic ecosystems. We focus on a variety of problems in microbiology in both marine environments as well as large lake systems. Work in the lab and field studies focuses on the role of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles, and conversely how the biogeochemistry of aquatic systems affects the production and activities of microorganisms.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Quantifying the impact of marine and freshwater viruses on aquatic food webs

SCOR MARINE VIRUS ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP

Developing diagnostic biosensors for the bioavailability of Fe in aquatic systems
Characterizing microbial community dynamics in the Lake Erie Dead Zone The MELEE project
Resolving the ecology of the Aureococcus anophagefferens virus / host system using metaproteomics
Resolving the interactions between cyanophages and toxic cyanobacteria in aquatic systems
Developing real time quantitative molecular tools for the study of toxic cyanobacterial ecology

MERHAB-LGL AND The Lake Taihu project

Research Team *See their smiling faces on the lab picture board!!!!*
Gary LeCleir, Ph.D.	Postdoctoral Research Associate
Janet Rowe, B.Sc.	Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Matthew Saxton, B.Sc.	Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Audrey Matteson, M.Sc.	Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Chris Allender, M.Sc.	Doctoral Candidate (Microbiology)
Emily Rogers, M.Sc.	Doctoral Candidate (Fisheries and Wildlife Science)
Star Loar, B.Sc.	Master's Candidate (Microbiology)
Larissa Caudill, B.Sc.	Master's Candidate (Microbiology)
Marie-Françoise Fabre, M.Sc.	Visiting Graduate Student
Rob Arnold	Undergraduate Research Assistant
Ann Wells	Undergraduate Summer Assistant

Winter Assessment of Microbial and Biological Activity - Lake Erie - Feb 2007

Net tow samples collected from iced-over (left) and ice-free (right) areas in Lake Erie in February 2007.

Scientists and crew work to clear a spot in the ice to sample - Lake Erie Feb 2007

Sunset over a very cold Lake Erie

LOST AT SEA - video compilations from recent research cruises

Other videos from research cruises are archived here

Big News on Small Things - Happenings in the Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Group

In the summer of 2008, science journalist Joel Smithson will be working with the Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Group to document the progress and experiences of student and staff researchers.

Issue #1 - Solving a microbial mystery

Issue #2 - Ironing out global warming

Issue #3 - Into the wild blue yonder

Issue #4 - Sandusky Bay cyanobacteria

Exploring the sea in Tennessee

Click to see the recent article in Higher Ground on Oceanographers at the University of Tennessee

Affiliations

Department of Microbiology, UTK

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UTK

Center for Environmental Biotechnology, UTK

UTK/ORNL Program in Genome Science and Technology, UTK

Research in the Aquatic Microbial Ecology Research Laboratory is supported by

Recent Publications

JM Rinta-Kanto, MA Saxton, JM DeBruyn, JL Smith, CH Marvin, KA Krieger, GS Sayler, GL Boyer, SW Wilhelm. 2008. The diversity and distribution of toxigenic Microcystis spp. in present day and archived pelagic and sediment samples from Lake Erie. Harmful Algae (in press).
Higgins JL, I Kudo, J Nishioka, A Tsuda, and SW Wilhelm. 2008. The response of the virus community to a mesoscale iron fertilization in the sub-Arctic Pacific Ocean. Deep Sea Research Part II (in press).
Rowe JM, MA Saxton, MT Cottrell, JM DeBruyn, GM Berg, DL Kirchman, DA Hutchins and SW Wilhelm. 2008. Constraints on virus production in the Sargasso Sea and North Atlantic. Aquatic Microbial Ecology (in press).
Brussaard CPD, SW Wilhelm, F Thingstad, MG Weinbauer, G Bratbak, M Heldal, SA Kimmance, M Middelboe, K Nagasaki, JH Paul, DC Schroeder, CA Suttle, D Vaqué, KE Wommack. 2008. Global scale processes with a nanoscale drive - the role of marine viruses. The ISME Journal. 2: 575-578 doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.31.
Ivanikova NV, AR Matteson, CJ Gobler, LC Popels, RML McKay, SW Wilhelm, GS Bullerjahn. 2008. Picoplanktonic cyanobacteria in Lakes Superior and Erie: phylogenies of endemic populations and cultured isolates. Verhandlungen Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie 30:459-465.
Gobler CJ, TW Davis, SN Deonarine, MA Saxton, PJ Lavrentyev, FJ Jochem, SW Wilhelm. 2008. Zooplankton and viral induced mortality of microbial populations before and during the onset of hypoxia in Lake Erie. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 51:117-128.
Wilhelm SW and AR Matteson. 2008. Freshwater and marine virioplankton: a brief overview of commonalities and differences. Freshwater Biology 53:1076-1089
Rowe JM, JR Dunlap, CJ Gobler, OR Anderson, MD Gastrich and SW Wilhelm. 2008. Isolation of a non-phage-like lytic virus infecting Aureococcus anophagefferens. Journal of Phycology 44: 71-76
Kenst, A., E. Perfect, SW Wilhelm, J Zhuang, J McCathy and L McKay. 2008. Virus transport during infiltration of a wetting front into initially unsaturated sand columns. Environmental Science and Technology 42:1102-1108
de la Cruz AA, P Rublee, JM Hungerford, PV Zimba, SW Wilhelm, JAO Meriluoto, K Echols, MT Meyer, G Stelma, R Mandeville, L Lawton, K Sivonen, and A Furey. 2008. Analytical methods work group report. In HK Hudnell (ed). Proceedings of the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 475-488.
Wilhelm SW. 2008 Field methods in the study of toxic cyanobacterial blooms: results and insights from Lake Erie research. In HK Hudnell (ed). Proceedings of the Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 507-519.
Dean, A. L., J. L. Higgins, J. M. DeBruyn, J. M. Rinta-Kanto, R. A. Bourbonniere, and S. W. Wilhelm. 2008. Viral populations in Lake Erie: abundance, production and predicted impacts, p. 247-270. In M. Munawar and R. T. Heath [eds.], Checking the Pulse of Lake Erie. Aquatic Ecosystem Health Management Society / Ecovision World Monographs.
Li R, Wilhelm SW, Carmichael WW, and MM Watanabe. 2008. Polyphasic characterization of water bloom forming Raphidiopsis species (cyanobacteria) from central China. Harmful Algae 146-153.

Link to all publications (including PDFs or Abstracts)

Web of Science Research Index

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN...

Johanna Rinta-Kanto Biogeography and genetic diversity of toxin producing cyanobacteria in a Laurentian Great Lake (PhD. 2006)
Leo Poorvin The role of viruses in Fe cycling in the World's oceans (Ph.D. 2005)
Julie L. Higgins Virus dynamics in high nutrient - low chlorophyll marine surface waters (M.Sc. 2005)
Cécile E. Mioni Using a bioluminescent bacterial bioreporter to assess iron bioavailability in the ocean (Ph.D. 2004)
Melanie Eldridge The effects of Fe on plankton in HNLC regions of the world's oceans (Ph.D. 2004)
Amanda L. Dean The dynamics, distribution, and activity of viruses in Lake Erie (M.Sc. 2004)
Shannon Pedigo-Eftland The effects of iron on growth and physiology of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa (M.Sc. 2004)
Johanna Rinta-Kanto The effects of viral size class enrichments on microbial communities in marine systems (M.Sc. 2001)

Dr Wilhelm currently teaches Microbiology 495 (Senior Seminar), Microbiology 650 (Topics in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), and Microbiology 680 (Foundations in Microbiology).

Final class project, Microbiology 650 - 2007 Molecular Techniques for Microbial Ecology: A Compilation of Reviews

since Oct 2004	send comments
*updated 08/29/2008*